DOCUMENTING THE ENDANGERED... OR WORSE

SAVING HISTORY WITH A CAMERA 

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I usually have two sources that I get when I start to look into an Endangered Structure.

1)     I get a request from the Landmarks Office who has done the spade digging for me and gives me a lead, sometimes with an address but not always.  Sometimes it’s just a “look into” call and the description of the structure and an approximate address.

Usually an Endangered Structure looks the part.

        Un-mowed lawn.

        Open or removed windows.

        Dramatically “deferred” maintenance.

        Abandoned construction work.

        Disconnected utility services.

But sometimes not…..

Sometimes the owner or a Developer has the intention to remove or “scrape off” an old, but functioning, structure,

Then, often, Landmarks calls me because it’s been keeping its “ear to the ground” and looks into the background and passes the information along to us to do the release work to photograph the site as required.

While we can photo from the street we can’t go on to the property without a release from the owners and notification to the Mayor’s office and the Police.

 2)    I follow my own hunches and, looking at all the above indicators, I start a file on certain buildings (for instance I’m interested about the missing windows at 11 South Water Street right now…..have been for some time)  and obey the “see something, say something” motto. From my point of view the Amtrak slogan “We’re All in This Together” equally applies to the cities structures as well…

For instance….

When I first moved in to New London, some five years ago, I started to take pictures of 130 Bank Street and posted a number of cries for its help on FaceBook.

But to no avail.

It wasn’t until I started documenting places with Landmarks that there was some action….

The list has changed somewhat but it, sadly, hasn’t gone away.

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THESE HAVE DRAMATICALLY ALTERED

OR HAVE GONE

As of 2015

66 Franklin St. New London, GRC

313 Pequot Avenue, New London, GRC

2 Belden St., New London, GRC

SASQUA PHOTOGRAPHY 

Supporting Preservation & Documentation
GRC © 2019 

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